A Demon's Heart
by FoXx8u
Summary: Yukio hasn't seen his older brother since they were both fifteen, when the church that was their home burned to the ground and killed their precious father-figure, Shiro Fugimoto. Now, his twin is on his way to True Cross. The twist? The eldest has resided in the Demon Realm for the past six years. (This one might take a while to finish.)
1. Prequel

Dark blue eyes opened to greet the morning sun that shone through a nearby window. A silhouette rose off of the bed on which it had rested only seconds before. Music pierced through the still, calm air, eliciting an agitated groan from the man. He fumbled noisily around, searching for the felonious mechanism and, managing to find the offending device, the man flipped it open.

"Hello," he called sleepily into his cell phone, making quite clear that he was unhappy about being woken.

"Ah! Mr. Okumura! How are you this fine morning?" The voice on the other end of the line was high pitched, quite annoying, and unmistakable.

"Mephisto? What is it? Do you need something?"

"Oh, it's nothing important. Just a little rumor I happened to hear from one of my messengers. You know, the one that travels to Gehenna. I didn't think you'd like to be informed of it later when your students were likely to catch on to it, as well." Mephisto sounded worried, but the man knew it was far more likely that he was amused.

"Alright…What is it?"

A chuckle rang out from the other end of the line, menacing and foreboding. The man became wary of what it was he was to hear next. The sound came to abrupt stop, silence lingering and nearly driving the man insane with morbid curiosity.

He heard and intake of breath, as if Mephisto was to speak, and he leaned his head farther into the phone. What came out shocked him, creating raging emotions of uncertainty and apprehension.

"Your brother is coming to True Cross."


	2. Chapter 1

True Cross Academy is an enormous school campus, as well as one of the main headquarters for exorcists. Yes, exorcists. Exorcists are the protectors of the human realm, Assiah. The demon realm, Gehenna, and Assiah exist as two sides of the same coin. Without one, the other cannot exist. Somehow, various demons are able to pass through the veil separating the two worlds. Exorcists are there to prevent full scale catastrophes and to limit, in any way they can, the amount of demons that make it into Assiah. The Vatican is the main group of exorcists, the ones that issue orders to the rest and observe their progress.

Satan exists as the God of Gehenna. His abilities are the single strongest force in the demon realm. The Blue Flame of Satan engulfs anything and everything it touches and cannot be put out by natural means. Demon possessions are not rare, but those possessed by the God of Gehenna suffer for a short period of time before going into cardiac arrest, their frail frames being unable to hold the power of Satan. They bleed out of their ears, eyes, nose, and mouth, and their heart is eaten away by the demonic blaze.

There are many in Assiah that are unaware of the presence of demons. They are simply a myth, a legend, a religious reference. A demon could stare straight into their eyes and they would be oblivious to it. This is because of the difference of realities. The demons have crossed over to Assiah and have, in so doing, gained the ability to observe the creatures that inhabit it. If a human were to enter Gehenna, the demons there would be just as blind to them. Those that become exorcists must be made to see the creatures they fight. To do this, they must obtain a temptaint, a wound, disease, or other sort of distress on the body caused by a demon. A simple scratch given to a regular person would make them aware of every demon they came in contact with thereafter. The process is usually carried out with low ranking demons, ones that are harmless, to a certain point.

All of this was common knowledge to those involved in demonic affairs. Stepping into his classroom, Yukio Okumura looked over the familiar faces of his students, the people he'd been teaching for the last year and a half. It was his job to educate aspiring exorcists in satanic topics and demonic defense. The news he received this morning, however, warranted a change in today's lesson plans.

Taking a deep breath, Yukio contemplated how to approach the subject as he moved to his desk at the very front of the room. To inform them of the magnitude of the situation presented with his brother deciding to visit True Cross, he would have to discuss with them the role Satan played in both he and his brother's lives. Three of his seven students had lost family members in an event called the Blue Night. As a result, they were enormously sensitive to all things Satan-related. There was no avoiding it, Yukio knew, and the only way to relieve the stress he was feeling right now was to get the task done.

"My brother will be visiting True Cross in a few days time," he announced. His students, noticing his grave expression, remained silent and waited for him to continue. "Before that happens, you must be made aware of certain things. This will entail an explanation of what transpired during the Blue Night." There was a loud gasp as one of the three boys sucked in a breath. Yukio met his student's eyes and was rewarded with expressions of curiosity, sorrow, and poorly concealed anger. "Bon," Yukio called, using the preferred nickname of one of his students. "I want you to tell us what you know of the Blue Night for us."

A young man with a stern, angry-looking face stood. His short hair, styled into a sort of Mohawk, was black with a blonde stripe running from the front to the back, almost as if it were a skunk's tail. He and his two friends, Shima and Konekomaru, the other Blue Night survivors, furrowed their brows at this unexpected occurrence.

"The Blue Night," the young man's rough, irritated voice began, "Was the result of an attack, by Satan, on Assiah. Hundreds of monks and holy-men across the world were possessed by him, one after the other, and almost every single one was killed. A lucky few were substantially crippled. Whole villages were rendered piles of ash while, for others, the epidemic ended with their churches." With that, he plopped himself back into his chair, a scowl etched onto his face.

"Um," Konekomaru interjected, "Okumura-sensei, what does this have to do with your brother?" Yukio sighed, mentally preparing himself for his revelation. No doubt he'd have to discontinue being their teacher. He found himself wondering how he, the youngest to be made an exorcist, only seventeen, younger than most of his students, could endure the responsibility he found himself bearing. His brother shouldn't even be coming to Assiah for months yet. What could have possibly happened to warrant this? Not one to complain, he pushed those thoughts out of his mind and straightened himself.

"What if I told you," He drawled, "that I knew the _reason_ behind the Blue Night?" Silenced yet again took hold. Again, he sighed, contemplating the beginning of his tale.

"Eighteen years ago, a group of Vatican exorcists were dispatched to investigate claims of spontaneous combustion in a remote mountain area. Upon arriving, it became clear that the situation had been severely underestimated. Those three exorcists fell victim to Satan's might. However, one of the three not only survived, but survived unscathed.

"She realized, no matter how impossible it seemed to be, that her body was resistant to the Demon God's blue flame. Choosing to pursue Satan instead of suffer the Vatican's probing, she set off further into the mountains."

He paused, taking the time to examine his student's reactions. Skepticism and shock were dominant. '_That won't last long,_' he thought, continuing his tale.

"Not many truly realized what kind of person that woman was. She strongly believed that, by showing demons tolerance, understanding, and love, they could live peacefully among humans. Having been born into the Vatican, though, she could not openly admit her views without being reprimanded. She found her current situation to be exactly what she needed to convert others to her point of view.

"Shortly after she began her search, she was approached by a white wolf, tears of blood running down its face. Once again, she was engulfed by the flame. Once again, she was left unharmed. Taking advantage of Satan's surprise, the woman was able to convince the demon of something unimaginable.

"She allowed the demon to take residence inside of her body."

An outraged exclamation echoed through the room. Yukio ignored it.

"For a little over a year, the woman taught the Demon God about life. His abilities had no affect on her or the things she touched, allowing her to give him a newfound appreciation of Assiah and those who lived there. In a little over a year, Satan, and the woman also, were taught to love.

"Overcome with foreign emotion for this human woman and all that she had shown him, he asked her if he, too, could create life. Not long after, the woman came to be with child."

Looking up, Yukio was unsurprised to find that Bon was shaking with rage. Everyone else, he was pleased to find, were sitting on the edges of their seats, completely captivated with his tale.

"However, as many things do, their adventures came to an abrupt end. A man by the name of Shiro Fugimoto, under the direction of the Vatican, found and, after realizing exactly what the woman had been up to, captured the had-been exorcist. She was taken to the Vatican headquarters, where she was tried and found guilty of consorting with the enemies of Assiah and performing witchcraft. She and her unborn child were sentenced to burn at the stake."

He fixed them all with a hardened stare. "Satan became frantic. His lover was the only being in Assiah that could house him without bursting into flame. He reasoned that, if she could do it, there must be another who could, as well. One after another, he began to possess exorcists across the globe. One after another, their bodies rejected his presence.

"Soon, the Demon God ran out of time. Knowing of no other way to save his precious companion, he possessed the leader of the Vatican and used his body as a puppet to set her free. She ran, for if anyone knew of the creature she carried in her womb, she would be killed on sight.

"The sky burned blue that night.

"Fugimoto, having escaped the carnage, tracked the woman to a remote mountain in Northern Japan, the very same mountain where she and Satan first met. There, he found her in a state of supreme exhaustion. As to be expected when a woman gives birth, in freezing temperatures mind you, to a set of twins."

Yukio refused to meet his students' eyes. "The oldest was born with every trait you'd expect from a Spawn of Satan: horns, wings, fangs, claws, a tail, and even the Blue Flame of Satan surrounding his frail, newborn body. The youngest was completely human, his only defect the temptaint he acquired from sharing the womb with his demonic brother.

"The woman, feeling death's approach, had no choice but to entrust her children to Fugimoto's mercy. Her last breath was spent naming her infant sons."

Steeling himself for their reactions, Yukio donned his best indifferent expression.

"Shiro Fugimoto, the strongest exorcist in the world, appointed by the Vatican itself, became the caretaker of the first and only Assiah-born children of Satan, Rin and Yukio Okumura."

He watched as realization, fear, hatred, confusion, and a variety of other emotions flashed across his students' faces in rapid succession. He sighed inwardly. It was to be expected, after all. He might as well finish his tale.

"Not an hour had passed before Fugimoto was confronted by a vessel of Satan. A deal was struck between the two to prevent another epidemic involving the notorious blue flame. Every three years, the demonic twin, Rin, would switch from Gehenna to Assiah and back again at the next interval. And he has.

"Each and every trip he made to Gehenna was three years spent learning to control his abilities and hide his true demonic appearance. Three years spent learning to be a demon. Three years to forget he was half human. Three years spent disregarding everything he had learned from his time in Assiah, learning to hate, to destroy, to kill. When his time in Gehenna was over and he returned to the human realm, it took every second of every day to control his violent tendencies and re-teach social niceties that humans always take for granted; Niceties that don't end in a fight to the death between high-level demons.

"The last time he was in Assiah, a few days after we both turned fifteen, he and Fugimoto got into a vicious verbal battle. Somehow, Satan himself became involved. The church where we lived burned to the ground in a conflagration of black and blue.

"Fugimoto never made it out of the building alive."

Yukio scolded himself internally. It had been two years. Surely, he should have gotten over it by now. The tears should have dried up long ago, but the dull, raw ache was still present and he could feel his eyes filling with the unwanted substance. He banished them as he cleared his throat. His students gave no indication that they had noticed. He was glad.

"My brother is coming to True Cross." He felt exhausted. He just wanted to go to his dorm room and crawl into his bed to sleep. "I suggest you prepare yourselves."

He stood from his seat. "You're dismissed." Not another word was uttered as he let himself out.


	3. Chapter 2

Three months had passed and there was still no indication of anything amiss. Surprisingly, none of Yukio's students had opted to change their instructor as a result of his little revelation. However, that didn't mean that the occasional scorching glare or mistrustful sidestep wasn't directed his way. The situation was almost comical. Almost.

Nowadays, Yukio never left his dorm room without his pistol and a bottle of holy water tucked into his belt. He couldn't imagine what his twin could possibly want from coming to True Cross, a place the boy could be confronted by hundreds of glory-seeking demon hunters at one time. Yukio wasn't sure whether or not he was among that crowd.

As a child, he had grown to see past his brother's violent tendencies and learned to love him. But, the memories they shared while he was there became clouded and broken whenever he left. Each time, the two had had to fight to reestablish their bond as blood. Each time, that bond had become weaker.

The fire had obliterated it completely.

After the damage had been done, Satan had taken his heir back into the Demon Realm, where he had been days previously. _'Just about a six year stay, all together,'_ Yukio mused. _'The time allotted to Satan and the time he stole from Fugimoto.'_ He wondered if his brother had succumbed to his demon instincts. It was a cheerless thought, the idea of his own brother as becoming little more than a rabid dog, bent on destruction and the consummation of blood. He couldn't help but think of having to put that dog down.

"…-mura? Mr. Okumura!"

Yukio started. Eyes flashing upward from his desk, he met the concerned stare of a female student.

"Ah… I apologize. What is it you needed, Miss Moriyama?" He smiled encouragingly.

The girl tucked her blonde, shoulder-length locks behind her ear, green eyes swimming in innocence and worry.

"Um," she hesitated, kneading her bottom lip between her teeth. "I finished my medicinal herb test." Her arms extended, pressing a few untidy documents into his face. He accepted them gratefully. She was the last to turn hers in; All of the others sat impatiently by, watching as he scribbled here and there on her papers.

"Miss Moriyama," he sighed. "It's wonderful that you were able to name every one of the plants and their uses when dealing with different temptaint," she grinned expectantly, "but these are names you've given the plants, not what they're actually called." Her face fell and her eyes widened.

"Awww," she sulked. "Really?" Her head fell to the table on which she sat. "I thought I did so well…!"

"Alright," Yukio called across the nearly-empty room. "Now that all of the tests have been turned in and graded, you may all—"

"Eins, zwei, drei!"

The door to the classroom burst open, denying him the ability to release his pupils from their educational confinement. Smoke that rivaled the complexion of a cherry drifted in, obscuring the hallway. All eyes darted to the form that emerged from behind the crimson wall.

It was a man, clothed in an elegant, white gentleman's coat and pants that seemed capable of rivaling those of olden-time jesters. A pale top hat, besides that of the pink and lavender resting at the base, twice the size of his own head rested atop his dark, plum-colored hair. Twirling a matching umbrella in his hands, he marched through the entrance with a feral grin plastered to his face.

"Mephisto," Yukio greeted, annoyed.

"Good Morning," the strange figure all but sang, "Good Morning! Ah! I didn't expect your students to still be here. Shame, Mr. Okumura, shame! 'Tis a beautiful day and you keep these fine ladies and gentlemen from enjoying the glorious Autumn sun!"

Yukio gritted his teeth to quell the urge to verbally lash out. He was not in the mood for this foolishness.

"What do you want," he growled, in spite of his efforts.

Mephisto brought his hand to his chest a faux display of concern. "Why, I just wanted to ask what you've been doing all this time, my young exorcist. You've been quite rude. I promised I wouldn't get involved, but this is getting ridiculous!"

Yukio blinked. "What do you mean?"

The newcomer scoffed. "Why, that's what I mean! Your brother's had to have been quite patient with you, you know."

The teen bristled_. 'Brother?'_ "Last I heard of my brother, _Pheles_, I was told he would be visiting True Cross soon. I assumed he'd thought better of it and crawled his way back to Gehenna."

Mephisto's eyes widened in shock. _Genuine_ shock. "You mean," he spluttered, "you don't know?"

Yukio narrowed his eyes dangerously, dimly aware that his students were also trying to make sense of the stranger's words.

The flashy figure stared, taken aback. Then, without warning, he exploded into a fit of hysterical giggles, leaning heavily on his umbrella as he fought to catch his breath.

"My dear boy," he chuckled menacingly.

"Your brother arrived months ago."


	4. Chapter 3

Lost for words, the young exorcist could do nothing but gape at the man in front of him, caught up in the news he had just delivered. He couldn't hear, though Mephisto's mouth appeared to be moving. He couldn't concentrate, though the messenger had his complete attention. _'He's here? But… how…? Why…?'_

"Where," he croaked, not fully aware of his surroundings. He forced his head to clear, needing to hear the answer. Mephisto furrowed his brows in worry. His lips pressed together tightly, implying that he was about to deny him a response. "Tell me where, God damn you!"

He thought he had heard a faint "Too late," but disregarded it when Mephisto gave him a wide smirk. "He isn't that hard to find, really. As far as I know, he hasn't strayed farther than the shopping district and he only goes there in the mornings. The only other place he could be would have to be his dorm." He sniggered at his disbelieving expression. "Oh, don't worry. He isn't actually attending the schools here, exorcist or otherwise." That's right, Yukio had forgotten that True Cross doubled as a High School for the rich or incredibly intelligent. He wasn't sure how, each corridor was packed with people at every waking hour, but he had.

"Which dorm," The harsh, hoarse voice didn't sound like his own.

Mephisto chuckled. "Which dorm could possibly house one of the most powerful demons in Gehenna without drawing the attention of every exorcist in a thousand mile radius?"

Yukio was out of the door before he could finish his sentence.

All too aware of the sound of footsteps behind him, he hurried down the hall at a pace that could only just be called walking. Without breaking stride, he burst through the Cram School entrance and into the light of the afternoon sun.

'_That dorm is the best place to look,'_ he figured. _'I'll never find him in the shopping district; It's hard enough to wade through the crowd there, let alone search for someone in particular. Even if that someone happens to be a demon.'_

The silence remained through the entire journey. Not one of his students, Mephisto was content to remain behind, were willing to risk becoming the subject of the wrath of their teacher's turmoil. Finally, they arrived at their destination.

The Devil's Den, as the dorm was ironically referred to as, had been abandoned nearly a decade ago because of a gas leak. The problem had been sorted out, but it had been an old building then and the school had not wasted the effort in reintroducing students into it. They had simply set it aside for travelling Vatican soldiers that were not to stay long. They didn't come by as often as they once had and, as a result, the dorm looked more like the setting of an effective horror movie; It's paint was chipped, vines were creeping up and into the walls as far as the third story, possibly the roof above it as well, and the foliage surrounding it was severely overgrown, casting shadows that could effectively hide full-grown elephants.

He halted and his students followed. The sun was setting, casting a brilliant orange light upon what used to be a magnificent building. A building that was now the temporary home of his estranged sibling.

A place in which the true heir of Satan resided within.

Too far away for the group to see, in a second story window, a curtain twitched.


	5. Chapter 4

The door opened without so much as a complaint. One by one, the exorcist and his pupils filed into the wide expanse of the hallway. Surprisingly, the dorm looked to be in almost pristine condition on the inside, whereas outside it was seemed near to falling apart.

Watching every shadowed corner as a mouse would search his entire field of vision for the smallest glimpse of a kitty's whisker, the group moved hesitantly down the corridor. Every turn they encountered, Yukio would sidle to the edge of the wall and stealthily gaze around the corner. He estimated that they had covered most of the first story. They even knew where the stairs began, though he wanted to make sure the ground floor was completely unoccupied before he attempted to climb them.

Coming across a bolted door, Yukio huffed in annoyance. "Here," one of his female students, Izumo Kamiki by name, whispered, pushing her hair, tinted purple in the lighting, out of her face. "let me through. I know how to pick a lock." After many agonizing minutes of waiting, the door swung outward with a satisfying click.

Wondering how much time they were wasting by not going on ahead to check the remaining floors, Yukio's thoughts were suddenly halted. "Oh…" The sound floated freely from his throat. So many memories…

"What's that smell," Shima asked, head thrown back to give him better access to the delectable aroma. His hands ran through his pink-dyed hair unconsciously, as if seeking to help relax him. "Mmm…"

Yukio's sensibility returned. "Get ready," he straightened his back and checked that the ammo for his pistol was properly set. "He's here."

Moving through a large dining area, the group pushed aside another set of doors and arrived in a small room with a homely looking table in the center. On the far right, a large half-wall separated the space from the actual kitchen, where the sound of sizzling fat and boiling water, as well as the most mouth-watering scent, were drifting in from. An arched entryway was the only entrance. '_And exit_,' Yukio thought menacingly.

Sitting atop the divider, a demon, much like the ones portrayed in paintings, with great, red ears, small, yellowed horns, and a three-pronged tail, watched what was proceeding within. Konekomaru, the smallest and most timid of the invading crowd, shifted his feet nervously, the sound instantly catching the imp's attention. His large, circular head whipped around, his face and exposed upper chest incredibly pale. Big, oval-shaped, amber eyes widened in surprise and the creature let out a squeak of surprise. Yukio raised his weapon threateningly, hoping that, whatever it was, it would not ruin their element of surprise.

The demon, shocked, jumped to his feet and raised his hands as if to ward off the bullets. He backed away slowly, until he came to the edge of the half-wall, where he quickly jumped out of Yukio's line of sight.

A prominent creak captured the group's attention; Their heads twisted violently in its direction.

Clad in a loose, solid black t-shirt and tight jeans, a boy, not any older than they could be, was leaning against the arching doorframe. His jet black hair stood out in great contrast to his abnormally pale skin. His jaw curved out elegantly, ending in a conflict of soft sharpness. His ears stretched into slight points and his canines, visible through his slightly-parted lips, were sharper than the average man. However, his eyes commanded the most attention. They shined with an intensity unmatched and were colored as were the shadows visible on a blue diamond, both light and dark swirling together into an unrivaled beauty. Those gorgeous, gorgeous eyes were resting on one and one alone.

"Yuki," he breathed. Pushing himself off the wall, but making no move further than that, he did not take his eyes from the exorcist.

"Rin," Yukio swallowed thickly, his hands trembling violently as he slowly leveled the gun at his brother's chest.

Rin said no more, simply watching with an unreadable expression on his face. Then, he began to move forward with even, measured steps. He did not stop until the pistol was resting against his chest, right were his heart should be. He gripped the barrel tightly, taking in the stunned expression on his siblings face.

"If you came to kill me," he said softly. "I'd prefer you got it over with."

Gritting his teeth, the young exorcist tried to gather his resolve. _'He is the spawn of Satan! An abomination! He killed Fugimoto!'_ No matter how hard he tried to pull the trigger, however, his fingers just would not move. He knew, too, that his students were searching for the smallest signal to begin their attack, as well. But, looking into the deep cobalt orbs that were his brother's eyes, into the sadness, regret, and resignation, Yukio felt his anger draining away. His hand slipped from the hilt of the handgun.

For a moment, all was still. Rin still held the pistol to his chest, now supporting its entire weight. Letting his arm relax, he placed it on the table that he and his sibling were standing so near to. Cautiously, he let his left arm encircle Yukio's waist and his right cradle the back of his skull. Pushing gently, he lowered his taller brother's head into the crook of his neck.

The occasional gasp and shiver that would rack the exorcists body were the only indication that he had been reduced to tears.


	6. Chapter 5

Giving an encouraging pat on the shoulder, Rin reluctantly discontinued the comforting embrace in which he had ensnared the man he had not seen in nearly three years. He gave a soft smile and ruffled his twin's hair, as he had always done when they were but children. Yukio cleared his throat and cleaned his glasses, his eyes and nose inflamed. "Sit," the half-demon gestured to the table at his side. "Dinner's almost ready." For the first time, he took in Yukio's students, not missing, but ignoring, the resentful stares that bore into him. "I always end up making more than I can eat myself, so it's no trouble." With that, he disappeared back into the kitchen.

Bon turned toward his teacher, needing answers and a way to quell the all consuming rage that threatened to obscure his reason. His tongue stuck in his throat. Yukio had already seated himself on the far edge of the table, hands folded and head bent. Bon was nearly blinded with his fury, but a pair of hands landing on each of his shoulders, from the other Blue Night survivors, was enough for him to follow them all to the empty chairs.

All of the student's were tense, unsure of what to expect from this strange turn of events. Bon began running his fingers over the sacred tomes strapped to his waist. He was training to achieve his Exorcist Meister, specializations, in the Aria and Dragoon fields; His means of annihilating demon hostiles were of using holy verses from blessed books, of which each demon only had one 'fatal verse' that would send them back to Gehenna, and of hallowed firearms like his mentor. He gazed around at his classmates.

Renzo Shima, his friend since childhood. The boy had dyed his black hair pink to act out against his strict parents. He was usually laidback but was fiercely loyal and determined when it mattered. He was training to be an Aria, like Bon, as well as a Knight, an exorcist that uses demon swords to slay the residents of the Demon Realm.

Konekomaru Miwa, another friend from the monastery he had grown up. Konekomaru was shy and timid, but incredibly intelligent. His head was shaved like many of the monks in his family. His frail body was only as tall as Bon's shoulder and Shima's neck. He, too, was to be an Aria.

Sheimi Moriyama was far too innocent for her own good. She was naturally likeable but just as gullible. Bon was pleased to see that, she too, had been affected by what had just happened. Her face was pale and her eyes kept darting to and fro between Yukio and the doorway to the kitchen. She was adept at making and using plant-based medications, so it was expected that she try to achieve her Doctor's Meister. She also had a talent for summoning, making her a perfect Tamer, an exorcist who employed familiars to help them in battle. The infant Greenman, as those types of demons were called, the perched on her shoulder attested to that. Greenman, as its name suggested, was different shades of green and could sprout all kinds of plants from its body, allowing Sheimi to make about any type of salve or liquid she needed to ease the pain of and heal battle wounds.

Izumo Kamiki was someone he could barely tolerate. She was condescending and arrogant. Her eyes were an unnatural shade of red and her hair, pulled into long pigtails, a strange shade of black that glinted violet in certain lighting. She had a nicely-shaped face, but she hardly ever smiled. Her eyebrows, instead of being the average lines of hair above the eyes, looked like large, rounded triangles of lilac paint. Born among a long line of shrine maidens, she, too, was a Tamer, though more powerful than Sheimi. Her familiars were a pair of Byakko, or spirits once thought to be the messengers of the Gods, and appeared in the forms of typical white foxes with distinguishing red markings across their faces and tails. She caught him looking at her and scowled deeply before looking away.

Finally, Bon turned to his teacher. Yukio was as calm and collected as anyone could hope to be, though at the moment he was anything but. He fidgeted nervously, his hands shaking and his eyes hidden by the glare of his glasses, as he had poor eyesight. He had three beauty marks on his face, one on the right side of his jaw just below his lips and two below his left eye, one just below the eyelid and the other directly across from his nose. When he stood, he was only a centimeter or so shorter than Bon and had a temper that could match, when it showed itself, though he was quite fair at controlling himself. He had a Meister as both a Dragoon and Doctor.

When he thought of Rin, he couldn't help but think that the brothers were far from the same. Where Yukio was tall, Rin was short, about Shima's size. Not a blemish marred the demon's pale flesh. Where Yukio's hair was a medium, chocolate brown, Rin's was charcoal black. Yukio's eyes were a dark, navy blue that was just light enough for color to be shown, while Rin's were so blue they were exotic. However, there was no question that the two were related. Their faces were built the same; Had they been the same size and had the same hair color, they could almost pass as identical twins instead of fraternal.

He was interrupted in his musings by the arrival of their host. Bon's eyes widened. Rin had balanced plate after plate of food on his hands, arms, and head, five in all. When he reached the table, he twisted his body and a long, thin, black tail swung out from behind him, carrying two extra plates. With a sweeping gesture, the furry mass had deposited the first two plates in front of Sheimi and Izumu, the pair closest to him. Leaning down, he quickly distributed the remaining dishes and the chopsticks he had placed in his pockets, his tail winding itself around his left leg and almost blending with the dark denim fabric.

Without further adieu, Rin split the wooden sticks apart and began to eat. Bon risked a glance at the human Okumura. Yukio was openly staring at the plate in front of him, his eyes glazed over. Then, as if he would be cut down if he did not try the food place upon it, he too began to eat, though it seemed as if he was trying not to simply shovel it all into his mouth at once.

Sheimi was the next to try it, letting out a squeak as it hit her tongue, eyes wide. Shima and Izumo dared each other with their eyes and took a bite at the same time, gawking at one another after. Konekomaru peered nervously at Bon and then at his food. His stomach growled loudly, causing Rin to look up at him curiously. He gulped, paling, and, following his pink-haired friend's lead, brought a morsel to his mouth and began to chew, face flushing.

Bon glared at the demon for as long as he could stand to and then turned to the cooking in front of him. It certainly smelled good. He looked up, catching a pair of glowing blue eyes. Clenching his teeth, Bon pushed the plate further up the table, away from him. Surprisingly, all other mounds of food were completely gone off of the other's plates. Shima was desperately licking at the plate, as if it would spontaneously sprout more of what he had just eaten. Izumo gave Bon and incredulous glare as Yukio and Konekomaru raised their eyebrows. Unable to handle the judging looks, as if they were regarding him as a spoilt child, Bon grabbed the plate and shoved some of Rin's multicolored creation into his mouth.

With a flurry of tangs and spices, Bon's eyes rolled to the back of his head. What would have, at any other time, been subtle now exploded in a frenzy upon his tongue. Sweet, sour, hot, mild, it didn't matter. All he could think of at that moment was of having more and more and more. Before he knew it, the plate was empty. He stared at it as if it had stolen all of his hope and happiness.

"Thank you for the meal," Yukio smiled, his students speechless.

"It was no trouble," Rin chuckled. "I enjoyed the company. If you'll excuse me," He rose from his seat and began walking in the direction of the stairs. "I need to feed Kuro."

"Kuro," Yukio whispered. "You mean, Fugimoto's familiar?"

"Ah… yeah," Rin bit his lip. "He followed me after… after. He's probably hungry…"

Yukio nodded. "Yeah, we'd better get going, too." He stood, face a mask of stone. "It has been a long, long day."

Their eyes locked. "I'll see you again, Yukio." It was more a question than a statement, those bright cerulean orbs pleading.

"Yeah," Yukio affirmed, face softening with brotherly affection. "Soon."


	7. Chapter 6

An stone bridge, its walls overgrown with the ravenous vegetation, stood alone as the bell tower of True Cross struck two. Below the walkway, in the valley it bypassed, a wooden door remained. Its iron hinges were rusted with exposure to the elements, but to those who used it, it never made a sound. Its oak body spoke of time and neglect, yet it weathered well the tantrums of father time and looked far less than half its true age. Many key had been pressed into its beaten lock, but only one would show its true destination.

With a deafening slam, the door was thrust open, handle landing on the cracked stone of the bridge's foundation as it had countless times before. For a split second, the other side was visible, the side only a select few were given the chance to see. The sight of a long hallway lined with ornate doors of massive proportion and lit by the flames of lamps hung halfway up the walls greeted any creature near enough to see inside. Suddenly, a blur of pink bounced out of the opening and landed in the light of the sun.

"Finally~" Shima sang out, stretching and popping his legs and arms. "Half-day, half-day, the half-day is over~! Goodbye studies, hello ladies!"

"Is that all you think about," an irate voice piped up. The knight-in-training turned, surprise melting into a cheeky smile.

"Aw, come on, Bon," He called back to the man in the doorway. "Just cause _I'm_ irresistible doesn't mean _you_ should feel bad!"

"Ch! Irresistible my a—"

"Guys," Konekomaru interrupted from behind his burly friend, rolling his eyes as he adjusted his glasses. "Can we please just get going?"

The three boys headed off toward the shopping district of the school. Bon turned his head and watched as the girls slipped out from behind the door and went off in different directions; Sheimi would go and help her mother out at their herb shop and…who knows where Izumo would run off to. Probably to go and see her friend, Paku, but he wouldn't bet money on it. He had kind of liked Paku. She was quiet and minded her own business, smiling politely at everyone she met. It was a shame she hadn't felt she could handle becoming and exorcist and had decided to quit the Cram School. Of course, she was less fond of battle than Sheimi, and that was saying something.

As was expected when attending a school with room for thousands of occupants and just as many classes, the place was packed when they arrived. Shima chattered loudly about this and that, hopping from one subject to the next without bothering, nor caring, to see if his friends were paying attention. Then, as if possessed, the boy became fixated on the thought of food. Dragging his companions down the street, he halted once they ended up in the restaurant quarter. Food stalls and small, outdoor produce markets peppered the areas between buildings, lacking nothing in the form of delicacies and their ingredients.

The pink-haired man eyed the restaurants thoughtfully. "Geez," Bon snorted. "You barely ate an hour ago! Your gonna get fat. Then what'll the ladies say,_ Mr. Irresistible_?" Shima glared half-heartedly at him and headed toward a stall of fruits and vegetables instead. Bon followed. If he had to stay there while Shima catered to his capricious nature, he might as well see what was being sold. Konekomaru chose, instead, to sit on an empty bench across the way.

As always, Bon was impressed by the quality of the food. The strawberries were plump and red, at the perfect stage of ripe where the fruit would be resistant to the teeth, yet sweet. Grapes varied in color, but the size suggested that they, too, were perfectly grown and ready to be eaten. Humongous bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots sat heavily in beautifully decorated display cases, begging to be held and chopped and cooked. Spontaneously deciding that he'd buy one of the lovely cases of blueberries, so fat with juices it seemed the slightest touch would cause them to burst, Bon's outstretched hand met with another's.

With a startled, "Oh," the pair pulled back their arms.

The man in front of him was apologizing profusely. Bon felt obligated to say that he was at no fault, but bit his tongue as he saw just who was addressing him. Yukio's demonic brother didn't seem to realize who he was and continued to apologize. When those radiant eyes finally landed on his, the speech halted. Tense silence followed.

"Rin," Shima all but shrieked. He smiled broadly, pushed passed Bon, and slung his arm over the half-demon's shoulder. Said boy's eyes widened comically and he began stuttering frantically, completely lost. Bon glared. Once he had recovered from the shock, that is. "You should hang out with us today! We'll have so much fun!"

"Uh, um," Was Rin's brilliant response.

"Great," Shima laughed as, just as he had done earlier with Bon and Konekomaru, he proceeded to tow Rin along behind him. Unwilling to leave the two alone together, _'who knows what the abomination will do'_, Bon hesitantly followed after them. Konekomaru cast a worried look in their direction, having stood from where he had been seated. He ran to their retreating forms.

"So, Rin," Shima cooed, "you must know all about good food, right?"

"I, er," he responded weakly.

"'Cause, you know," Shima continued without a response, "you cook better than any of the restaurants I've ever been to. Ooh! We should challenge all the chefs here to a cookout! Then we'll know just how good you cook! You'll win, of course!"

The praise, Bon noted, seemed to be making the kidnapped boy uncomfortable. His face was as red as those strawberries from earlier and his brows were creased pathetically.

"I really need to—"

"Wouldn't that be great," Shima grinned. "You'd earn a fortune if people knew how well you can wield a spatula and frying pan! You're, like, a culinary ninja!"

"I have to—"

"I love how you make all your dishes! Their absolutely amazing! Well, I've only had it once, but it was mouth-watering. Look! I'm drooling just thinking about it! It was so—"

"HEY!"

Shima dropped his arm in shock, freeing his captive. Rin rubbed his neck, his subtly pointed ears scarlet with embarrassment. "If I cook for you again," he mumbled, eyes downcast, "will you stop?"

Instead of being offended, like any other person, Shima twisted around so he was facing Bon. "See," he crossed his arms, "and you said I couldn't be persuasive!"

He walked off to another stall, leaving the three gazing at him incredulously.

"Is he always…" Rin trailed off.

"Yup," Bon responded.

Rin scoffed, but an amused smile was clearly pulling at his lips. "Bye, guys," he called quietly, not expecting any answer as he began to walk off.

"SEE YOU TONIGHT, RIN," Shima's screech caused more than a few heads to turn in their direction in surprise, including the one he had called to.


	8. Chapter 7

_**I apologize for how long it has taken me to update and that it is with only this meager text. I'm far too busy for my own good. I honestly don't know how long it will be before the next sample of my story. I really wouldn't mind some suggestions as to what should happen next. I kind of know where I want this to go, but getting there is quite... trying. I need some events to lead up to it. **_

_**(/0_0)/ \(0_0\) ~(0_0)~**_

_***funky dance of pure happiness***_

_**Let the story continue!**_

* * *

The three monk-raised men of the exorcist class lived in one of the many True Cross Boy's Dormitories that were scattered across the campus. It was presented as a mission: They had to live amongst the regular population and keep the realm of Gehenna a secret. Each and every room was the same: a small area more wide than long, a petite central window above an old, well-used desk, and two beds on opposite sides of the rectangular room. Mercifully, Bon and Shima shared a room on the third floor, and Konekomaru had been paired with a tacit boy across the hall, one who rarely arrived at his dorm before midnight and who left well before sunrise. This gave them every opportunity to successfully complete Cram School assignments without looking over their shoulder every few minutes to make sure they were not being watched.

As it was, Bon was fully aware of when Shima got back to their room, a mere two hours after he had left, if that. Normally, Bon wouldn't have spoken at all on the topic of the half-demon that his roommate had gone to visit, but Shima was not acting like his usual self, jittery, annoying, and happy, was solemn, and sported a look of obvious concern.

"I take it dinner with the devil-spawn didn't go so well," He stated blandly, his tone implicating that the question was for the sole sake of formality. He expected the soon-to-be knight to scratch his head, sigh, and launch into a long-winded rant about how different the half-breed had become away from the eyes of his brother. What he didn't expect was the murderous glare. The pink-haired boy was never one to get angry. He would always find a way to simply brush a situation off. With this small act of contained anger, Shima had gained his undivided attention, and he knew it.

When the hostile atmosphere finally dissipated, Shima sat on his bed, the one on the far right, and frowned up at him sadly. "The dinner went fine," the boy began, looking away.

"Then what's the problem," Bon asked, confused.

Shima swallowed. "It's just how… normal he seems. I kind of expected him to be… a little different. Like, maybe less affected by emotions, or maybe more, I don't know. But, the only thing I could see wrong with him, besides his ears and tail, was how lonely he seemed." By this point, Shima was knotting his fingers together nervously.

"I asked him about it," He continued, "you know, as a joke… He just got all sad. He didn't talk much to begin with and the whole event was a bit awkward, but after that, he just stopped responding completely. He nodded here and there, but never talked again." He bit his lip. "I apologized, and he said it was okay, but he was distracted and it didn't look like he believed what he'd said."

"So," Bon questioned, bluntly revealing his disinterest. That earned him another, though less poisonous, glower.

"So," Shima retorted, miffed, "I kept trying to get him to loosen back up. I mean, he seemed like a really nice guy before, for being part demon and all, and his cooking's really good," Bon barely controlled the sudden urge to roll his eyes, "so I just… I felt bad and… well, I asked him if anything was bothering him, friend to friend.

"He looked at me funny," Shima's brows furrowed in misery. "It was like he didn't understand, or like it was a foreign concept, friends. I think it made things worse.

"After that, he said he had to take care of some things around his dorm and that I should probably head home. He wouldn't look at me and just left me in the kitchen; He disappeared. You know how much of a maze the Devil's Den is. I wandered around for ten minutes or so before this little two-tailed cat demon led me out."

Bon didn't know how to respond. There really was nothing to say. But, the more the silence dragged on, the more upset Shima seemed to become. He sighed heavily.

"Maybe Yukio could help," Bon supplied lamely.

Shima hummed. "Yeah, but they haven't seen each other in years. A lot can change in that time. I doubt Yukio can help any, if he can help at all."

"Well, they are brothers. The half-breed might react better to him."

"I wish you wouldn't call him that."

"Why? That's what he is."

"Yeah, but," Shima grasped at the air as he tried to find the right word, "it's insensitive."

"Ch! 'Cause demons are sensitive."

"Well, why not? How do you figure they're any different from us? Emotion wise, I mean."

Bon gave Shima a how-can-you-be-so-stupid stare and rolled his eyes at his friend's look of conviction. "I'm going to bed now. Go talk nonsense with someone else."

He could practically feel Shima scowling at him as he climbed onto his mattress and wrapped the blankets around his body.


End file.
